Gandharan Buddhist Texts: Rhino Sutra

(Tan Lay) Ancient Gandharan (Proto-Indian) Buddhist text: Rhinoceros Sutra (audiobook)

• Snp 1.3: Khaggavisāṇa Sutta—Ven. Sujato (translation)

First statues of the Buddha

In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called ancient Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas (Kushan Empire) in the second century CE.

Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian (Greco-Buddhist) synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about 20 years ago, almost nothing was known about its Buddhist literature (Gandhāran Buddhist texts).

Buddhist Lit of Ancient Gandhara

The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission (Journey to the West, Monkey King) of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition.

The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.

Afghan Buddhas: The Ancient Art of Gandhara || Overlooked Art History

Afghanistan's Buddhas: The Ancient Art of Gandhara || Overlooked Art History

(Athena Art Foundation) Feb. 20, 2023: The history of ancient Gandharan art is a reminder of Afghanistan's diverse and beautiful history, in poignant contrast to its current political turmoil. 🇦🇫 Gandhara was an ancient region located in parts of present-day northeast Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. Gandharan sculpture is characterized by its combination of ancient Greek and Buddhist styles, highly influenced by the conquest of Alexander the Great in 327 BC. #sculptor #arthistory #learnart

• 0:00-0:55 Introduction
• 0:56-1:30 Gandharan history
• 1:31-2:40 First human depictions of the Buddha
• 2:40-3:46 Other subject matter

Gandhara: Pakistan's Buddhist Legacy (exploring Taxila, Takht-i-Bhai, Shindagar (Swat)

• Takht-i-Bahi, Buddhist Afghanistan
• Mes Aynak, Little Copper Well, unexcavated Buddhist temple complex
• Buddhism in Afghanistan, Central Asia
• Buddhism in Central Asia
• Gandhāra (kingdom)
• Buddhism in Pakistan
• Ajina Tepe, Tajikistan
• Greco-Buddhist monasticism

Superiority of Solitude in Early Buddhism: "The Rhinoceros Sutta"

(Doug's Dharma) Nov. 27, 2023: Is solitary practice superior? [The best companionship is with a kalyana-mitta or "noble friend," and the second best, if no such friend can be found, is to go alone.] Let us consider the problem through a look at one of the most powerful and enigmatic early Buddhist poems, the Rhinoceros Sutra. What does it tell us, and who composed it?

• 00:00 Intro — viewer question and a poem
• 02:26 What does the poem say?
• 04:37 The central tension of Buddhist practice: solitude and community
• 08:06 Who composed the poem, when, and why?
• 09:14 Pre-Buddhist origin?
• ["Pre-Buddhist" refers to when there were only silent or non-teaching (pacceka-) buddhas, considered pre-Buddhist because the historical Supremely Enlightened Buddha (samma-sam-buddha) Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni has not yet arisen in the world; however, there have been other supremely awakened teaching buddhas in the distant past. This means there were Buddhists before Buddhism even if they were not called that and a long line of at least 28 teaching-buddhas mentioned by the Buddha as having preceded him.]
• 09:59 Buddhist origin?
• 14:10 Both origins?

📙 BOOK: A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a foreword by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. 🧡 Find this material useful? Check out Dr. Doug's Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: dougsseculardharma. 🧡 Donate: paypal.me/dougsdharma ☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org. 🎙Check out podcast with Jon Aaron, "Diggin' the Dharma," digginthedharma.com

✅ Books mentioned

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.) The Suttanipāta: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with its Commentaries (Wisdom Publications, 2017)
• Richard Salomon, The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhāra (Wisdom Publications, 2018)
• The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara: An Introduction with Selected Translations (Classics of Indian Buddhism)

NOTE: As an Amazon associate, Dr. Doug earns from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where he will earn a very small commission on purchases made at no additional cost to purchaser. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thanks!

✅ Video mentioned: The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha" or Pacceka-buddha — • The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha"...

✅ Sutta mentioned: suttacentral.net/mn122/en/sujato

Webpage: dougsdharma.com. Facebook: onlinedharmainstitute. Mastodon: mindly.social/@dougsdharma. Instagram: dougsdharma. Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma. Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons: Anonymous (3) John Oborne DunJing Jimmy Maa Debbie Mattison Fine Art Steve H. Ron Peat Matthew Smith Shantha Wengappuli Karma_CAC Jorge Seguel Christopher Apostolof GailJM Brett Merritt David Bell T Pham VCR Upayadhi Andi and Erik ATGuerrero686 Michael Scherrer khobe schofield Alex Perdomo Benji Forsyth Blaze Way Sonny Flink Steve Marlor Joy L Lee Andrew Tom Anthony Tucker Karlee R Ethan M Billy in Singapore Olivia Otter Carl Lennartson xiao mao Jeff Harvey Andrew Ingrouille Kenneth Grandchamp Doug Fonner Rene Gariepy Russell Needham Smoggyrob Mac Roja Bernardo Clémence Ortega Douville Kwan Alex Scott Johnston Richard J Beninger Nathanael O. Arnquist SaturnianMandala Trin P Letesa Isler Dorien Izel Robert Paterson Jake Tobiason Louvenia Ortega Steve S. Richard Rappuhn Sarah Kress John Aaron Paul Niklewski Kong Ing Kai Dave Gorman rhys reed Osanda Wijeratne Billy Scarlett Farrow

• Gandhara: A Forgotten History by Jay Vardhan Singh
• Tan Lay; Doug's Dharma; Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Monkey Mind: 'Monkey-barring' for dating

'Monkey-barring' is the latest dating trend wreaking havoc on relationships

Without letting go of one, you grab the next.

(FOX 32 Chicago) Sept. 2, 2025: Certified counselor Love McPherson breaks down why some people jump from one relationship to the next [like a monkey grabbing bars, not letting go of one and already grabbing the next or like a frog waiting for a new pad to jump on instead of getting into the water of singlehood and swimming to find a better pad like a decent person] and offers steps for healing and forming healthier connections. "Fear of abandonment" anyone?

• Understanding the "Monkey Mind" in Buddhist Meditation with teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

What is monkey mind? Restlessness, worry...

A Modern Journey to the West

The term "monkey mind" originates from Chinese xīnyuán or Sino-Japanese shin'en (心猿), which literally means "heart-mind monkey."

It is a Buddhist concept that describes a state of restlessness, capriciousness, and lack of control of one's thoughts and emotions, the inability to find soothing stillness, calm, equanimity, poise, or maintain mindfulness.

Others suffer from it, too?

Attempts to suppress tend not to work. It is spurred by caffeine, stimulants, excitotoxins (chemicals), and is frequently followed by a crash, exhaustion, and cyclical dysfunction:

• Worry, sleepless, exhausted, stimulated, foggy, worried, sleepless, exhausted...

This "mind monkey" metaphor is found in Buddhist writings in Zen, Chan, Mind-only, Pure Land, and Shingon and has also been adopted by Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, Chinese poetry, theater, and literature.

Perfectionism is a mental illness.

The expression "monkey mind" commonly appears in two reversible four-character idioms paired with yima or iba (意馬), which means "idea horse."

Chinese xinyuanyima (心猿意馬) and Japanese ibashin'en (意馬心猿) illustrate the interconnectedness of a restless mind and wandering (discursive) thoughts.

The "Monkey King" Sun Wukong in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West is an iconic personification of feeling indecisive and unsettled. More

Why I'm moving to Mexico (video)

Founding Father Emiliano Zapata wants you to join the US Army and get the heck out of MX

• The Spirit Nomad, YouTube; Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Clingy love is doomed to disappoint

Mystic Knights "I'm Afraid"

"Peace of mind, peace of mind, hard to keep, hard to find" sings Danny Elfman

How to gain peace of mind, Dalai Lama?

The 14th Dalai Lama explains how one might gain peace of mind

Doug's Dharma: What is 'solitude'?

Solitude: Its advantages and drawbacks in Buddhist practice

(Doug's Dharma) June 9, 2025: The Buddha praised solitude [well undertaken as temporary withdrawal, mental seclusion, peaceful isolation, private intensive meditation, accompanied by piti from samma-samadhi] as highly beneficial.

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:48 The benefits of solitude
• 04:26 Dangers of solitude
• 07:06 Finding the balance
• 10:07 Cultivating solitude in lay life
• 11:47 Buddha's wisdom on solitude

He also warned of its dangers [when not well undertaken, done without the jhanas, the meditative absorptions, "right concentration," the stabilizing inner-stillness of samadhi].

How can we best balance solitude and community in our practice? How can we cultivate solitude [mental seclusion, temporary withdrawal] even in our busy everyday lives?

🧡 Find this material useful? Check out the Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: dougsseculardharma.

Do God or gods exist?

🧡 It is also possible to make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma. 📙 Check out the book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi:  books2read.com/buddhisthandbook.

☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org. 🎙Check out Doug Smith's podcast with Jon Aaron, "Diggin' the Dharma": digginthedharma.com.

✅ Videos mentioned:

• Superiority of Solitude in Early Buddhism: The Rhinoceros Sutta
• Striking A Balance: Finding The Middle Way in Buddhism
• Is Meditation Dangerous?

✅ Sutras mentioned:

• suttacentral.net/mn122/en/sujato
• suttacentral.net/an10.99/en/s...
• suttacentral.net/sn45.2/en/su...

WEBSITE: dougsdharma.com

• Facebook: onlinedharmainstitute
• Mastodon: mindly.social/@dougsdharma
• Instagram: dougsdharma
• Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma....
• Thumbnail image courtesy of kalyanayahaluwo at Pixabay.

❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons: Anonymous (3) Omar John Oborne Debbie Mattison Ron Peat Michael S. Kearns Anne Matthew Smith Shantha Wengappuli Karma_CAC Jorge Seguel Christopher Apostolof GailJM David Bell T Pham VCR Upayadhi Andi and Erik Michael Scherrer khobe schofield Alex Perdomo Benji Forsyth Sonny Flink Steve Marlor Joy L Lee Andrew Tom Anthony Tucker Karlee R Ethan M Billy in Singapore Olivia Otter Carl Lennartson xiao mao Jeff Harvey Andrew Ingrouille Kenneth Grandchamp Rene Gariepy Russell Needham Smoggyrob Mac Roja Clémence Ortega Douville Kwan Alex Scott Johnston Richard J Beninger Nathanael O. Arnquist SaturnianMandala Trin P Letesa Isler Dorien Izel Robert Paterson Jake Tobiason Louvenia Ortega Steve S. Richard Rappuhn Sarah Kress John Aaron Paul Niklewski Kong Ing Kai Dave Gorman rhys reed Osanda Wijeratne Scarlett Farrow BJ - RetreaTours™ Roland Harris karen Rob John Brady Schickinger Jenn A. Hieu Chi Tran Kenneth Sorensen Will Mosse Sharon E. Ken M Mattias Sjölin Marc Belanger Kyaw Thurein

• Dr. Doug Smith, Doug's Dharma, onlinedharma.org, June 9, 2025; Seth Auberon, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Rise of ‘Female Loneliness’ (Dukkha Girl)

This sucks so friggin bad and I'm all alone.

We miss our beloved, adopted (Shanghai victim) correspondent Dukkha Girl. She was on, she was gone, she came back, and now who knows where she is? So here's a replacement, Shoe0nHead, a clever allusion to that time someone asked the Zen master a koan and he "answered" by putting a sandal on his head and walking out. Ha.

But in a serious vein, if people only knew what dukkha is, they would have much more respect for what the Buddha found. What he taught, which made him so famous, is how to bring all suffering to an end. "Impossible!," people say, but it is possible, and a fraction of beings have already done it, giving the world the Noble Sangha, the community of those on the stages of awakening.

We would like to leave the term dukkha untranslated -- and nowadays not attempt to define "girl" either because of the libcon rancor and feminist hypocrisy that tends to engender -- because it's a multivalent Sanskrit word, having a range of meanings, with many shades and intensities.

Does the Buddha have advice for worldlings?

Translated, we prefer "disappointment," to show that it is much more than the common "suffering." Suffering sounds so bad that most of think we don't have that. But Tan Geoff is right to translate it as "stress" rather than distress, because even eustress (positive stress as comes from excitement) is included in this umbrella term. The best definition is long and comes from the Buddha:

It is not getting what we want, getting what we don't want, and all forms of ill and unease. It is pain, it is sadness, it is loss, it is ultimately that lack of fulfillment that drives us on to keep hoping and searching (craving) even though it continuously leaves us dissatisfied and off kilter and out of sorts.

No one gets me, except Grumpy Cats. He does.

The word dukkha at its root refers to an oxcart wheel that is off-center and therefore providing a bumpy, wonky, wobbly, uncertain, and unpleasant sometimes painful ride. All of life -- in all states of existence -- is beset by tinges of this. Hey, but what about the heavens? Even there, danger exists. They are not eternal, and they are certainly not fulfillment as they have been sold to us. They are temporary bliss, exalted, and that's the higher ones. The lower sensual ones seem little better than a good time on earth. Just ask the Indian, Greek, Sumerian, and Roman "gods" (the deus, devas) of the various pantheons, visitors from above acting like spoiled children with lots of power and beauty.

We ignore the danger of suffering, the misfortune others meet, until the S gets real (bad touch)

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It is completely wrong to interpret Buddhism as saying there is no pleasure. If there were no pleasure, the Buddha explains, no one would stay in samsara. Of course, there's pleasure. It is our relationship to pleasure that is problematic. We crave, grasp at, and cling to the pleasant; we exhibit aversion and fear toward the unpleasant; we get bored or confused and fall asleep with the neutral, the neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant.

F all y'all! Maybe pleasure's the solution

Moreover, there is a hidden danger in pleasure and attachment, like a flower or fruit with a hidden thorn. Or to use a now less familiar simile, which was popular and easier to relate to in the Buddha's ancient agrarian proto-India, it is like licking honey off the blade of a knife or razor used to gather that honey. It's sweet until it slices your tongue.

Females can get lonely? But they're always going to the bathroom together, going out in packs, being friends on the phone and on social media with their filters and clique parties, accompanying each other to venues, talking to everyone, and acting like the whole world is a popularity contest in high school!

Of course girls get lonely, and women have it even worse. Everything that happens on the HS social scene is temporary, even in college, but IRL? Whoa, suddenly it's all forevermore.

Females are pitted against each other by the society, treated in curious and crappy ways by males, misunderstood by a male-dominated medical field, psychologized, medicated (with most of them being put on antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs), and told to smile to make viewers feel better as if it were their job to make us feel good. Dating/mating in particular is a problem. Anyhow, who knows? Let's ask a woman. Dukkha Girl! Oh, she's not here. Um, Shoe0nHead, take it away:

The Rise of ‘Female Loneliness’ (How to Fix It)

Am I the problem because I feel like the victim in all of this, wahhhhh. Everyone hates me!

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(Shoe0nHead) March 14, 2024: ♥ Patreon: donate $5 or up to join the discord server ♥ shoe0nhead ♥ Twitter: shoe0nhead. TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Happy International Women’s Day
• 02:27 All the single ladies [don't have the money or looks of Beyonce]
• 06:03 Why aren’t men approaching women anymore?!
• 08:51 129 Ways to Get a Husband
• 23:54 What have we learned?

♥ Sources used in this video ♥

• Full "129 Ways to Get a Husband" list: inside.sfuhs.org/dept/history...
• Men do not approach women study: datepsychology.com/risk-aversion...
• Women being single article: eviemagazine.com/post/45-...

♥ Sponsored by Ridge. Save up to 30% on Ridge’s products with this link (ridge.com/shoe) through April 1st. ♥ Outro song: Marina and the Diamonds: Froot (Subscribe to them they make great remixes). If you're reading this, write "o w o" in the comments.

• Shoe0nHead, 3/14/24; Ashley Wells, Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; the original Dukkha Girl came back at ThisIsZen.com

Longest study on happiness reveals...

Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

You wouldn't believe what was in my mouth. - This smile! (Choose to be happy for no reason).

(Veritasium) Nov. 15, 2023: How to lead a happier, healthier, and longer life. Bliss and longevity? Add meaning (purpose, passion, a point), and we're in!

Huge thanks to Prof. Robert Waldinger for all his help with this video. To learn more about what makes for a good life, visit: the-good-life-book.com and • Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life...

Special thanks to Prof. Julianne Holt-Lunstad for her expert advice on the importance of social connections and the detrimental effects of loneliness and social isolation.

Check out our sponsor: https://betterhelp.com/veritasium to get matched with a professional therapist who will listen and help.

References:

• Waldinger, R., & Schulz, M. (2023). The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Simon and Schuster.
• Lindqvist et al. (2020). Long-run effects of lottery wealth on psychological well-being. The Review of Economic Studies. ve42.co/Lindqvist2020
• Wen et al. (2011). Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study. The lancet. ve42.co/Wen2011
• Nocon et al. (2008). Association of physical activity with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. ve42.co/Nocon2008
• Blondell et al. (2014). Does physical activity prevent cognitive decline and dementia?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. BMC public health. ve42.co/Blondell2014
• Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The US Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. ve42.co/LonelinessEpidemic
• Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS medicine. ve42.co/Holt-Lunstad2010
• Valtorta et al. (2016). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. Heart. ve42.co/Valtorta2016
• Shovestul et al. (2020). Risk factors for loneliness: The high relative importance of age versus other factors. PloS one. ve42.co/Shovestul2020
• Donovan et al. (2017). Loneliness, depression and cognitive function in older US adults. International journal of geriatric psychiatry. ve42.co/Donovan2017
• Lara et al. (2019). Does loneliness contribute to mild cognitive impairment and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Ageing research reviews. ve42.co/Lara2019
• Holt-Lunstad et al. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on psychological science. ve42.co/Holt-Lunstad2015
• McIntyre et al. (2015). Compulsive Internet use and relations between social connectedness, and introversion. Computers in Human Behavior. ve42.co/McIntyre2015
• Kahneman & Deaton. (2010). High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences. ve42.co/Kahneman2010
• Killingsworth. (2021). Experienced well-being rises with income, even above $75,000 per year. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ve42.co/Killingsworth2021
• Killingsworth et al. (2023). Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ve42.co/Killingsworth2023

Special thanks to Patreon supporters: Adam Foreman, Anton Ragin, Balkrishna Heroor, Bernard McGee, Bill Linder, Burt Humburg, Chris Harper, Dave Kircher, Diffbot, Evgeny Skvortsov, Gnare, John H. Austin, Jr., john kiehl, Josh Hibschman, Juan Benet, KeyWestr, Lee Redden, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Max Paladino, Meekay, meg noah, Michael Krugman, Orlando Bassotto, Paul Peijzel, Richard Sundvall, Sam Lutfi, Stephen Wilcox, Tj Steyn, TTST, Ubiquity Ventures.

Directed by Casper Mebius. Written by Casper Mebius, Petr Lebedev, and Derek Muller. Edited by Peter Nelson. Animated by Fabio Albertelli and Ivy Tello. Filmed by Derek Muller, Emily Zhang, and Zyan Treadwell. Produced by Casper Mebius, Petr Lebedev, Han Evans, and Derek Muller. Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images and Storyblocks. Music from Epidemic Sound. Thumbnail by Ren Hurley.

Into the woods: withdraw to meditate (sutra)

Charles Patton (trans.), suttacentral.net, "Increasing One By One" (DA 11: 增); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Hiking, exploring, seeking solitude in the woods, Chiang Mai, Thailand (bing.com)

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I was reading the Buddha's advice. I thought I heard him say, "Go into the woods" or a similarly solitary place in search of peace.

If I keep silence, after some bumpy adjustment, my mind/hearts goes quiet and peaceful. There's a time in there when, like drug withdrawal from being addicted to thinking and worrying, there's a real hump.

But if I stick to it and keep at it, peace descends and joy arises. First comes joy then comes focus, samadhi, meditative absorption. It's uneasy at first, to be sure, but things do settle. It's not noticeable at first, but when it becomes noticeable, it's clear how much progress has been made. Why did the Buddha speak this way?

SUTRA: "Increasing One by One" (DN 11)

Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was staying in Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, Jeta’s Grove, in Śrāvastī. He was accompanied by a large assembly of 1,250 monastics.

It was then that the Blessed One (Bhagavān) addressed them:

“I will give a discourse (sutra) on the sublime teaching in which all the words in the beginning, middle, and end are true, the content and expression are pure, and the spiritual life is perfected. It’s called the teaching that increases one by one. Everyone, listen closely and consider it well. I will teach it for you.”

The meditators then accepted [receiving] this teaching and listened.

The Ones

The Buddha told them, “This is the teaching that increases one by one: There’s one thing to be achieved, one thing to be cultivated, one thing to be recognized, one thing to be ceased, and one thing to be realized.

“What’s the one thing to be achieved? It’s the non-abandoning of the good Dharma (Teaching).

“What’s the one thing to be cultivated? Constant mindfulness of oneself.

“What’s the one thing to be recognized? Contaminated contact.

“What’s the one thing to be ceased? The conceit of self.

“What’s the one thing to be realized? It’s the freedom of an unobstructed mind.

The Twos

“There are also two things to be achieved, two things to be cultivated, two things to be recognized, two things to be ceased, and two things to be realized. More

• DA 5: 小緣—Charles Patton (suttacentral.net)

Advice from a Thai forest Buddhist master

Ajahn Chah (ajahnchah.org), Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Dawning of realization in forest

We must examine ourselves. We must [discover] know who we are, know this body and mind. We can do this by simply watching.

Whether running, walking, sitting, sleeping, or eating, we can know our limits. Use wisdom. The practice is not to try to "achieve" anything.

[It about letting go of all the sh...] Let us just be mindful of what is. Our whole meditation [running, walking, standing, sitting, or engaged in activities] is looking directly at the mind.

What will we see? We will see disappointment (dukkha, dissatisfaction, suffering), its cause and its END. But we must have patience, much patience and endurance to persist. Gradually we will learn.

How can I let go when I'm stuck? - Watch.

The Buddha taught his monastic disciples to stay with their Buddhist teachers for at least five years. We must learn the values of giving (letting go, generosity, non-hoarding, non-clinging, freedom), patience (khanti, forbearance, forgiveness), and of devotion (persistence).

Don’t practice too strictly. Don’t get caught up with outward forms. Watching others is bad practice. Simply be natural and watch that.

Our monastic discipline and rules are very important. They create a simple and harmonious environment. Use them well. But remember, the essence of the monastic discipline is watching intention, examining the mind.

We must have wisdom. Don’t discriminate. Would anyone get upset at a small tree in the forest for not being tall and straight like most of the others? This is silly. Don’t judge other people. There are all varieties. No need to carry the burden of wishing to change them all.

So be patient (tolerant, forbearing). Practice virtue (sila, ethics, morality). Live simply and be natural. Watch the mind. This is our practice. It will lead you to unselfishness, to peace.

Visiting a peaceful forest monastery

Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly; Courtney (lansingyoga.com); Elizabeth J. Harris

All photos of Dhammasala Forest Monastery by Courtney (lansingyoga.com)

This small meditation hut (kuti) stands alone in the forest for peace and quiet.

 

Courtney

I visited a Theravada Buddhist temple and forest monastery called Wat Dhammasala for the first time yesterday in Perry, Michigan. I brought along my 18-year-old cousin, but other than that the only soul we came across was a fluffy, white dog named Yim.

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When I stepped out of my car the first thing to hit me was the vibrant solitude that I’ve always loved about the woods.

I could hear bells chiming from the roof of the temple, birds conversing with one another casually, the hum of bees, and the rustling of a million green leaves.

Everything smelled clean, and even though the sky was grey when we first arrived, all I saw were the vibrantly green leaves. More+PHOTOS

• Yogini Courtney is the Web Editor of LansingYoga.com and a yoga instructor in the Lansing, Michigan area, who graduated in 2011 with a double major in journalism and digital media arts and technology.

Detachment and Compassion in Early Buddhism

Elizabeth J. Harris (Bodhi Leaves 141/Buddhist Publication Society/accesstoinsight.org)

To people looking at Buddhism through the medium of English, the practice of compassion and detachment can appear incompatible, especially for those who consider themselves to be socially and politically engaged.
 
In contemporary usage, compassion brings to mind outward-moving concern for others, while detachment suggests aloofness and withdrawal from the world.

Yet Buddhism recommends both as admirable and necessary qualities to be cultivated. This raises questions such as the following:

• If compassion means to relieve suffering in a positive way, and detachment to remain aloof from the world, how can the two be practiced together?
• Does detachment in Buddhism imply lack of concern for humanity?
• Is the concept of compassion in Buddhism too passive, connected only with the inward-looking eye of meditation, or can it create real change in society?

An altar at Wat Dhammasala, Michigan

It is certainly possible to draw sentences from Buddhist writers that seem to support a rejection of outward concern for others. For example, [the early Western translator] Edward Conze has written, "The Yogin [self-controlled meditator] can only come into contact with the unconditioned [nirvana] when he [or she] brushes aside anything which is conditioned" (Edward Conze, Buddhist Thought in India, 1960, Ch.5).

Similarly, G.S.P. Misra writes, "In the final analysis, all actions [karma] are to be put to cessation... The Buddha speaks of happiness involved in non-action [the acts of an arhat, a full enlightened person, are not called karma but kriya], which he further says is an integral part of the Right Way or samma-patipada (G.S.P. Misra, Development of Buddhist Ethics, p. 44.)
 
Taken in isolation and out of context, these remarks can give the impression that the path to nirvana implies developing a lack of concern towards everything in samsara (the cycle of existence, rebirth, and suffering). But is this inference sound? I would argue that it is not.
 
This is an issue that touches on the whole question of transferring concepts across linguistic barriers, in this case [the exclusively Buddhist language] Pali and [the catchall universal language of commerce, culture, and empire] English. It calls not only for an understanding of how the concepts are used within the framework of the Pali Buddhist texts, but also for an awareness of how the English terms used in translation function and whether they are adequate.

Inevitably, a dialogical approach between two linguistic frameworks is necessary.
 

Detachment

What's that, Mr. Garden Snake? An offer?

Viveka and viraga are the two Pali words that have been translated as "detachment." The two, however, are not synonyms. The primary meaning of viveka is separation, aloofness, seclusion. Often physical withdrawal is implied. The later commentarial tradition, however, identifies three forms of viveka:

1. physical withdrawal (kaya-viveka)
2. mental withdrawal (citta-viveka)
3. withdrawal from the roots of distress, disappointment, suffering (upadhi-viveka).

Kaya-viveka, as a chosen way of life, was not uncommon during the time of the historical Buddha. To withdraw or pull back from the household life, to renounce (give up interest in or control of) possessions, and adopt a solitary mendicancy was a recognized path.

The formation of the Buddhist monastic Sangha (community) was grounded in the belief that going forth from home to homelessness could aid in intensive, concentrated spiritual effort. Yet to equate the renunciation the Buddha encouraged with a physical withdrawal, which either punished the body or completely rejected human contact,  would be a mistake.

• [Renunciation does not actually mean giving things up, so much as letting go of being controlled by them, to let go and let things be. This is much easier to do if one actually lets go, but even letting go of them physically does not mean we have really let go.]

The Buddha made it clear that the detachment of a noble disciple (ariya savaka) -- the detachment connected with the path -- was not essentially a physical act of withdrawal, let alone austerity.

Kaya-viveka was valuable only if seen as a means to the inner purging and mental transformation connected with the abandoning or destruction of craving. This is illustrated in the Udumbarika Sihanada Sutta in which the Buddha claims that the asceticism of a recluse who clings to solitude could lead to pride, carelessness, attention-seeking, and hypocrisy if not linked to the cultivation of moral virtues and the effort to gain insight through meditation (DN 25).
  
A further insight is given in the Nivapa Sutta, which weaves a lengthy story around the relationship of four herds of deer with a certain crop, representing sensual pleasure, sown by the hunter (the "tempter" Mara) to ensnare the deer.

The sign that welcoming visitors

Both the ascetics who crave for pleasure and those who deny themselves any enjoyment in an extreme way are destroyed. Referring to the latter, the Buddha says: 

Because their bodies were extremely emaciated, their strength and energy diminished, freedom of mind diminished; because freedom of mind diminished, they went back to the very crop sown by Mara -- the material things of this world (MN 156).
 

The message of the sutra is that ascetic withdrawal can reduce the heart/mind's ability to discern. It can also lead to the repression of mental tendencies rather than to their rooting out and destruction.
 
The detachment of which Buddhism speaks, therefore, is not an extreme turning away from what normally nourishes the human body. Neither is it a closing of the eyes to all beauty, as is clear from the following:

"Delightful, reverend Ananda, is the Gosinga sal grove. It is a clear moonlit night; the sal trees are in full blossom. It seems deva-like scents are being wafted around... (MN 156).
 

This expression of delight is uttered by Sariputra, the Buddha's chief male disciple foremost in wisdom, an arhat, on meeting some fellow monks one night.
 

The temple or wat

One must look away from external acts and towards the area of inner attitudes and motivation for a true understanding of the role of detachment in Buddhism. Physical withdrawal is only justified if it is linked to inner purification of virtue and meditation.

In this light, citta-viveka and upadhi-viveka become necessary subdivisions to bring out the full implications of detachment within Buddhist spiritual practice. Upadhi-viveka, as withdrawal from the roots of suffering, links up with viraga, the second word used within Buddhism to denote detachment.
 
Viraga literally means the absence of lust/craving (raga) -- the absence of sense desire, lust, the craving for endless existence, as well as the craving for annihilation [all three are wrong views based on ignorance of the Three Characteristics of Existence]. It denotes non-attachment to the usual objects of raga, such as material forms or addictive pleasures of the senses.

Non-attachment is an important term here if the Pali is to be meaningful to English speakers. It is far more appropriate than "detachment" because of the negative connotations "detachment" possesses in English.



 

Raga is closely related to clinging, grasping (upadana) which, within the causal chain binding human beings to repeated births, grows from craving (tanha) and results in bhava -- the continued samsaric wandering in search of fulfillment, pleasure, meaning, and an end. The English word "non-attachment" suggests a way of looking at both of them.
 
The Buddhist texts refer to four strands of clinging and grasping: 

1. clinging to sense pleasures
2. clinging to views
3. clinging to rules and rituals (as if they could ever in and of themselves result in enlightenment),
4. clinging to doctrines of self.

All of these can also be described as forms of raga or desire. To abandon them or destroy their power over the human psyche, attachment to them is transformed into non-attachment. Non-attachment or non-clinging would therefore flow from the awareness that... More